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The QC, Vol. 81, No. 20 • March 16, 1995

1995_03_16_p001

WHITTIER
COLLEGE
^^^^ ^-^ March 16,1995
OuAKER Campus
▲ SPORTS
Senior Brandon Boettner, pitcher for the Poet
baseball team and possible major leaguer, is profiled inside.
pgi7
CAM
▲ Fearless Ben
Hubble
Learn more about the
guy who not only schedules the Friday Film Series but also keeps the
posters for himself.
P9 9
COLLEGE
M
► . . .And P.J.
Too!
Art history major P.J.
Gardner, a senior graduating through the Whittier Scholars program, is
featured inside.
P3 11
► Magnificent
Mugshots are in!
ssional photo-
en at Luminarias
bus
The Voice Of The Campus Since 1914
FACULTY
English Professor to Leave L. A. for Pa.
by GEORGE RIGGLE
QC Staff Writer
Professor of English and Creative Writing Kirk Nesset has
announced he is leaving Whittier
College following Spring semester. Nesset will be taking a similar teaching position at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa.
Nesset said the major factor in
his decision to leave was his "being not constitutionally fit for life
in a megalopolis" such as Los
Angeles. Pointing to this fact is
forthcoming publication in Ohio
Poetry Review of Nesset's poem
titled, "The End of the World is
Los Angeles." Nesset is a native
of Sonoma County, Calif.
Nesset was hired by the northwestern Pennsylvania school after responding to its advertisement in a literary publication. He
was initially attracted to Allegheny College—a liberal arts college slightly larger than Whittier1—for the school's small town
environment, antiquity and "beautiful green setting," said Nesset.
"The offer was hard to resist
on all levels," Nesset noted. But,
the new position offers compara-
QC File Photo
Kirk Nesset
lively "less work for more money," Nesset added. He also said,
citing the affordability of housing
in Pennsylvania as compared to
southern California, that he has
"long dreamed of owning" a
house.
Nesset, who began his professorial career at Whittier after a
period as a teacher's assistant at
the University of California, San-
taBarbara(where he took his Ph.D.
in 1991), said he is grateful to
Whittier which "taught (him) how
to teach," and to Whittier students,
who "consistently demand (his)
TRUSTEES
Lecture Series Funding
Increased by $100,000
by VERONICA JAURIQUI
QC Staff Writer
Whittier College's Feinberg
Lecture Series has been given a
$100,000 grant increase, President Ash announced last week.
According to Jonathan Meer,
executive assistant to the president, "the lecture series intends to
create opportunities to bring people of academics, intellectual, and
cultural note^ to the campus...in
order to enricfrthe experience of
students at the college."
The grant is guided by Whittier College trustee Sheldon Feinberg and his wife Betty who have
funded this program for the past
four years. It is in their interest to
create, as Betty Feinberg explained, "an expanded awareness
of Judaica"—subject matter that
is Jewish in content—"to both
Whittier the College and Whittier
the Community. The environment here is wonderful and the
program is free, so all should take
advantage of it. It has a lot to offer
whether one is ofthe faith or not."
The prime directive of this
increased endowment would pay
the honorarium and expenses of
one or two people invited to Whit
tier College each year, Meer con-
tinued/'to present a major public
lecture encompassing Judaism and
its role in a changing world."
These lectures will range in
topics dealing with Jewish writers, artists and academics in various scientific and social scientific
studies. Last week's presentation
by Reuven Kimelman, the series'
lecturer of the year, was titled
"The Seduction of Eve" and focused on the feminist interpretation of the book of Genesis in the
Hebrew scriptures.
The Feinbergs hope that with
this grant increase the word will
spread throughout the community. "I would like to know that the
community is aware of (the lecture series)...thatmore people will
come and enjoy it," said Betty
Feinberg. The grant will also allow the College to bring more
lecturers to campus each year.
This will involve greater collaboration with the Feinberg family, which has been instrumental
in lecturers who have spoken in
the past. It was the Feinberg's
daughter, a New York attorney,
who suggested Kimelman as the
next lecturer in the series.
Please see FEINBERG, pg. 5
very best" work.
"I certainly feel bad about leaving, especially in terms of students whose senior projects I am
directing," Nesset said.
'T11 miss my colleagues, too—
especially the English department," Nesset acknowledged.
"They' re some of the greatest people I've known." But this is a
"wonderful opportunity" in the
fiercely competitive field of teaching Creative Writing.
Nesset estimates that for every position opening in his field
"anywhere from five to seven hundred" applications are received.
"Whittier's been an incredible challenge," Nesset observed,
both in the number and variety of
courses he has taught. But, Nesset
said, the school has always given
him a "generous allotment" of both
time and money to keep "his own
creative projects rolling."
The ability to be consistently
"publishing one's own work," is
"extremely important," he maintains. "Without it, we (writers)
wither and die."
Nesset's projects have included a book of criticism, The Stories
of Raymond Carver, two novels,
Living in Trees and Mud People
(both pending publication), abook
of short stories, dozens of poems
and anumberof published essays.
Nesset has also been instrumental in bringing such fiction
writers and poets as Tess Gallagher, Barry Hannah, Li-Young Lee
and Kate Braverman to campus to
read and to lecture about their
craft.
According to English Department Chair Anne Kiley, a search
for Nesset's replacement is currently underway. However, Kiley said, it is presently "too late"
in the academic year to undergo a
full, nationwide search.
Therefore, the school is seeking a temporary replacement with
experience "in the same areas as
Kirk [Nesset]"—creative writing
and some twentieth century literature (either British or American).
Due to leaves of absence by
Anne Kiley and co-Chairs Wendy
Furman and Charles Adams within the next year, this temporary
position will exist for two years.
At which time, a complete national job search will be lanched and a
tenure-track position will be offered.
ADMISSIONS
Number of Transfer
Students Grows A
with Population
>ns
by JEFF HEYNEN
tions."
QC Staff Writer
When consi
many transfer sti
The number of transfer stu
be admitted, the
Admissions
dents applying to Whittier Col
Office is given a
lege has increased significant-
goal, which inclu
ly^ according to Admissons
that rests somew
Office officials.
As the si ze of recent fresh
man classes has grown over
anemic year, ab<
>ut 90 trans-
the years, the number of stu
dents who have transferred
here from other institutions has
increased propartional ly. Their
intellectual presence is felt as
they bring with them the expe
rience of having previously
studied at other four-year
schools or at junior colleges.
Assistant Director of Ad
missions Colin Ormsby, who
ullerton Col-
handles the transfer applicants,
stated that "the transfer popu
ions Office
lation has increased signifi
ns and lures
cantly," and that, when com
pared to last year's total at this
1 high school x
time, there has been a "17.9
percent increase in the nurcK
marked, they h
jve different
ISSUE 20 • VOLUME 81

WHITTIER
COLLEGE
^^^^ ^-^ March 16,1995
OuAKER Campus
▲ SPORTS
Senior Brandon Boettner, pitcher for the Poet
baseball team and possible major leaguer, is profiled inside.
pgi7
CAM
▲ Fearless Ben
Hubble
Learn more about the
guy who not only schedules the Friday Film Series but also keeps the
posters for himself.
P9 9
COLLEGE
M
► . . .And P.J.
Too!
Art history major P.J.
Gardner, a senior graduating through the Whittier Scholars program, is
featured inside.
P3 11
► Magnificent
Mugshots are in!
ssional photo-
en at Luminarias
bus
The Voice Of The Campus Since 1914
FACULTY
English Professor to Leave L. A. for Pa.
by GEORGE RIGGLE
QC Staff Writer
Professor of English and Creative Writing Kirk Nesset has
announced he is leaving Whittier
College following Spring semester. Nesset will be taking a similar teaching position at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa.
Nesset said the major factor in
his decision to leave was his "being not constitutionally fit for life
in a megalopolis" such as Los
Angeles. Pointing to this fact is
forthcoming publication in Ohio
Poetry Review of Nesset's poem
titled, "The End of the World is
Los Angeles." Nesset is a native
of Sonoma County, Calif.
Nesset was hired by the northwestern Pennsylvania school after responding to its advertisement in a literary publication. He
was initially attracted to Allegheny College—a liberal arts college slightly larger than Whittier1—for the school's small town
environment, antiquity and "beautiful green setting," said Nesset.
"The offer was hard to resist
on all levels," Nesset noted. But,
the new position offers compara-
QC File Photo
Kirk Nesset
lively "less work for more money," Nesset added. He also said,
citing the affordability of housing
in Pennsylvania as compared to
southern California, that he has
"long dreamed of owning" a
house.
Nesset, who began his professorial career at Whittier after a
period as a teacher's assistant at
the University of California, San-
taBarbara(where he took his Ph.D.
in 1991), said he is grateful to
Whittier which "taught (him) how
to teach," and to Whittier students,
who "consistently demand (his)
TRUSTEES
Lecture Series Funding
Increased by $100,000
by VERONICA JAURIQUI
QC Staff Writer
Whittier College's Feinberg
Lecture Series has been given a
$100,000 grant increase, President Ash announced last week.
According to Jonathan Meer,
executive assistant to the president, "the lecture series intends to
create opportunities to bring people of academics, intellectual, and
cultural note^ to the campus...in
order to enricfrthe experience of
students at the college."
The grant is guided by Whittier College trustee Sheldon Feinberg and his wife Betty who have
funded this program for the past
four years. It is in their interest to
create, as Betty Feinberg explained, "an expanded awareness
of Judaica"—subject matter that
is Jewish in content—"to both
Whittier the College and Whittier
the Community. The environment here is wonderful and the
program is free, so all should take
advantage of it. It has a lot to offer
whether one is ofthe faith or not."
The prime directive of this
increased endowment would pay
the honorarium and expenses of
one or two people invited to Whit
tier College each year, Meer con-
tinued/'to present a major public
lecture encompassing Judaism and
its role in a changing world."
These lectures will range in
topics dealing with Jewish writers, artists and academics in various scientific and social scientific
studies. Last week's presentation
by Reuven Kimelman, the series'
lecturer of the year, was titled
"The Seduction of Eve" and focused on the feminist interpretation of the book of Genesis in the
Hebrew scriptures.
The Feinbergs hope that with
this grant increase the word will
spread throughout the community. "I would like to know that the
community is aware of (the lecture series)...thatmore people will
come and enjoy it," said Betty
Feinberg. The grant will also allow the College to bring more
lecturers to campus each year.
This will involve greater collaboration with the Feinberg family, which has been instrumental
in lecturers who have spoken in
the past. It was the Feinberg's
daughter, a New York attorney,
who suggested Kimelman as the
next lecturer in the series.
Please see FEINBERG, pg. 5
very best" work.
"I certainly feel bad about leaving, especially in terms of students whose senior projects I am
directing," Nesset said.
'T11 miss my colleagues, too—
especially the English department," Nesset acknowledged.
"They' re some of the greatest people I've known." But this is a
"wonderful opportunity" in the
fiercely competitive field of teaching Creative Writing.
Nesset estimates that for every position opening in his field
"anywhere from five to seven hundred" applications are received.
"Whittier's been an incredible challenge," Nesset observed,
both in the number and variety of
courses he has taught. But, Nesset
said, the school has always given
him a "generous allotment" of both
time and money to keep "his own
creative projects rolling."
The ability to be consistently
"publishing one's own work," is
"extremely important," he maintains. "Without it, we (writers)
wither and die."
Nesset's projects have included a book of criticism, The Stories
of Raymond Carver, two novels,
Living in Trees and Mud People
(both pending publication), abook
of short stories, dozens of poems
and anumberof published essays.
Nesset has also been instrumental in bringing such fiction
writers and poets as Tess Gallagher, Barry Hannah, Li-Young Lee
and Kate Braverman to campus to
read and to lecture about their
craft.
According to English Department Chair Anne Kiley, a search
for Nesset's replacement is currently underway. However, Kiley said, it is presently "too late"
in the academic year to undergo a
full, nationwide search.
Therefore, the school is seeking a temporary replacement with
experience "in the same areas as
Kirk [Nesset]"—creative writing
and some twentieth century literature (either British or American).
Due to leaves of absence by
Anne Kiley and co-Chairs Wendy
Furman and Charles Adams within the next year, this temporary
position will exist for two years.
At which time, a complete national job search will be lanched and a
tenure-track position will be offered.
ADMISSIONS
Number of Transfer
Students Grows A
with Population
>ns
by JEFF HEYNEN
tions."
QC Staff Writer
When consi
many transfer sti
The number of transfer stu
be admitted, the
Admissions
dents applying to Whittier Col
Office is given a
lege has increased significant-
goal, which inclu
ly^ according to Admissons
that rests somew
Office officials.
As the si ze of recent fresh
man classes has grown over
anemic year, ab<
>ut 90 trans-
the years, the number of stu
dents who have transferred
here from other institutions has
increased propartional ly. Their
intellectual presence is felt as
they bring with them the expe
rience of having previously
studied at other four-year
schools or at junior colleges.
Assistant Director of Ad
missions Colin Ormsby, who
ullerton Col-
handles the transfer applicants,
stated that "the transfer popu
ions Office
lation has increased signifi
ns and lures
cantly," and that, when com
pared to last year's total at this
1 high school x
time, there has been a "17.9
percent increase in the nurcK
marked, they h
jve different
ISSUE 20 • VOLUME 81